Device for supporting telephone apparatus



May 27, 1941. A. N. EPSTEIN DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING TELEPHONE APPARATUSFiled Aug. 17, 1939 Patented May 27, 1941 DEVICE FOR SUPPOBTIN APPARATUSAlvin N. Epstein, Chicago, Application August 17, 1939, Serial No.290,620

3 Claims. (01. 179457) designed to serve as a handle, thereby permittingThis invention relates to a device for supporttelephone apparatus, andmore particularly handling the same, and which may be employed 4 bybrokers. order-clerks, and others to permit a phone receivers proppedbetween the ear and body and head harnesses are used by telephoneswitch-board operators for In the drawing- Figure 1 illustrates themethod of using a combination receiver-transmitte telephone unit whenequipped with a supporting device con- Fig. 2 is a. perspective view ofthe arrangement shown in Fig. 1, upon an enlarged scale, illusright sideof Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views, illustrating details ofconstruction of the supporting device shown in Fig. 2.

Th ombination receiver-transmitter telee c phone unit I comprises thereceiver 2 and trans mitter I, connected by the shank 4 which is mydevice in Fig. 1. I

In the form or construction shown in Figs, 1

the mouth of the user.

I do not wish to be limited to any particular construction of the clips1 1. porting device is constructed of soft rubber, the

TELEPHONE nation unit to be held in one hand and ere the supoured, tothe body I l.

,terial is preferred.

as at IS, with some softer material to prevent scratching of the shank 4when the clips are bent therearound.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the supportingdevice comprises a cupmember Hi adjustably attached to the body H andthe body is provided with two pairs of slips l2-l 2, I have illustratedthe cup-memberas attached by a hinge-pin i3, and it is to be understoodthat the hinge is in effect a tight stop-hinge, that is to say, thehinge attachment is designed to permit a limited adjustment of thecup-member to suit the convenience of the user and to retain suchadjustment. Where the material employed is sufllciently pliable, as inthe case of soft rubber, the hinge may be omitted and the neck-part ofthe cup-member cemented, or otherwise se-' I prefer the hingeconnection, however, since it is more durable and provides foradjustment of a cup-member constructed of hard rubber or metal, wheresuch ma- Regardless of the material used, the adjustable cup-memberconstitutes a comfortable support for resting the unit upon theshoulder, and the body H occupies less space upon the shank-14, leavinga' substantial portion thereof free for usual handling. 1am well awarethat the bodyll may be constructed to occupy less space upon the shank 4thanI have shown, and I donot desire to be limited in such respect.

1. The cqmbin tion, with a receiver-transmitterr telephone unit having areceiver, a transmitter, and a shank connecting said receiver andtransmitten'of a deviceattached to extend along theshank of said unitand project radially from the axis thereof, said device having acontinuous shoulder-engaging base-portion extending lengthwise or saidshank with one end of said baseportion terminating adjacent the receiverof said unit, said device constituting a support for said unit to bepositioned across and upon the shoulder of the user thereof, the angleat which said device projects radially from said shank and the positionof said one end of said base-portion with respect to the receiver ofsaid unit being such that said unit and said device may be held in suchposition solelyby pressure of the ear of the user to the receiver ofsaid unit.

2. The combination, with a receiver-transmitter telephone unit having areceiver; a transmitter, and a shank connecting said receiver and transrnitter, of a cushion shoulder-rest constituting a support for attachedto extend along the shank of saidunit and project radially from the axisthereof, said cushion having a shoulderengaging surface extendinglengthwise of said shank with'o'ne end of said surface terminatingadjacent the receiver of said unit, said cushion constituting a supportfor said unit to be positioned across and upon the shoulder of. the userthereof and 'frictionally held in such positionljby pressure of the earof the user to the-receiver of saidunit.

3. The combination, with a receiver-transmitter telephone unit having areceiver,.atransmitter, and a shank connecting said receiver andtransmitter, of a shoulder-restattached to extendalong the shank of saidunit and project-radially from the axis thereon said shoulder-resthaving a base-portion with a continuous shoulder-engaging frictionsurface extending lengthwise of said shank and with one end of saidbase-portion ter minating adjacent the receiver of said-unit, said saidunit to be positioned across and upon the shoulder of the user thereofand frictlonally held in such'position by pressure of the ear of theuser to the receiver of said unit.

J ALVIN N. EPS'I'EIN.

